Nepal travel desk
Thirty million people, where seven in ten new cars are electric and most come from China. Business weeks in Kathmandu and Birgunj, the fairs at Bhrikutimandap, and Pokhara, Chitwan or Lumbini when the work is done — all arranged.
Fly into
Kathmandu (Tribhuvan)
From China
Under 4 hours from Chengdu or Kunming
Chinese passports
Free tourist visa on arrival
Best months
October–November and March–May
Business language
English and Nepali
Weekend
Saturday and Sunday for offices and banks
Packages
5 days
Kathmandu · Lalitpur · Bhaktapur
From US$1,150flights extra
Brands entering Nepal: phones, electronics, appliances, solar and electric vehicles.
6 days
Kathmandu · Birgunj · the Raxaul border
From US$1,450flights extra
Exporters and logistics teams moving goods into Nepal through India.
4 days
Kathmandu
From US$890flights extra
Visitors and exhibitors at the Bhrikutimandap trade fairs.
7 days
Kathmandu · Pokhara
From US$1,650flights extra
Business owners who want to see the mountains before they fly home.
8 days
Kathmandu · Pokhara · Chitwan
Quoted for your datesper person, twin share
Families and groups: temples, lakes and a jungle safari, from October to May.
6 days
Kathmandu · Lumbini
Quoted for your datesper person, twin share
Pilgrims and families visiting the birthplace of the Buddha.
Your dates
Kathmandu, the industrial areas and project sites
Price on applicationfor companies, chambers and investors
Investors and delegations meeting ministries, chambers and partners.
Per person, twin share. Single rooms extra.
Trade fairs
Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
Furniture, furnishings, home décor and household appliances.
Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
A broad business fair: consumer goods, appliances, vehicles and services.
Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
Construction, building materials, machinery and solar.
Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
Phones, televisions, home appliances and solar, for Nepal’s dealers and retailers.
2027 dates are confirmed by the organisers through the year.
Before you fly
A free tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport or the land borders with China, or in advance from a Nepal mission in China. For meetings and fairs most visitors travel on it, with our invitation letter; the business visa is for registered foreign investors.
No visa. Carry a passport or a voter ID card, by air or over land at Raxaul–Birgunj or Sunauli–Bhairahawa.
As SAARC citizens, a free visa on arrival for up to 30 days on the first visit in a year. A second visit, or a longer stay, pays the standard fee.
A multiple-entry tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu and the land borders: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days. Fill in the online arrival form before you fly. A few nationalities must apply in advance; we confirm yours before you book.
Visa rules change; we confirm yours before you book. Checked October 2026.
Safety
Every Nepali airline has been on the EU air-safety list since 2013, and mountain weather changes fast. We fly in the morning when the skies are clearest, keep a spare day on mountain routes and drive where the road makes more sense.
From June to September landslides close highways at short notice. This year they cut the crossings to China at Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani, and Chinese goods were rerouted through Birgunj.
Demonstrations can close roads in Kathmandu, as they did in September 2025. We check the day’s situation every morning and keep plans flexible.
Since 2023 trekkers in most national parks and conservation areas need a licensed guide. We book the guides and permits, and plan for altitude.
Getting there
Air China and Sichuan Airlines fly direct to Kathmandu, in under four hours.
China Eastern from Kunming, about 3½ hours; China Southern from Guangzhou, about 4¾ hours.
Flights from Lhasa; connections through Delhi, Dubai, Doha, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur; and the road crossing at Rasuwagadhi (Kerung) when it is open.
Short flights link Kathmandu with Pokhara, Bhairahawa for Lumbini, Bharatpur for Chitwan, Simara for Birgunj, and Biratnagar. Roads are slow: Kathmandu to Pokhara takes six to eight hours.
Where business happens
The capital and most of the market: ministries, head offices and distributors, with New Road for electronics and phones.
Patan, across the river: offices, the Patan Industrial Estate and some of the valley’s best hotels.
The busiest trade gateway, opposite Raxaul in India: the Sirsiya dry port, the rail link to Kolkata and Haldia, and nearly half of Nepal’s imports.
The industrial east, with the Jogbani crossing into India.
Gautam Buddha International Airport, the Sunauli crossing, a special economic zone — and Lumbini half an hour away.
On the ground
Guests from China
Chinese citizens pay no tourist-visa fee, on arrival or from a Nepal mission in China. Other kinds of visa pay the standard fee.
China is Nepal’s second-largest trading partner, and Chinese contractors build its roads, airports and hydropower — Pokhara’s new airport among them.
WeChat works normally; local business runs on WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger, and we set up the groups.
Mandarin–Nepali interpreters are few; we bring Mandarin–English interpreters and our own team.
Chinese restaurants in Thamel and Lalitpur. Beef is not served; chicken, mutton, buffalo and pork are common.
Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, has a Chinese temple in its monastic zone; Boudhanath and Swayambhunath are in Kathmandu.
When the work is done
In Kathmandu
The Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath: seven World Heritage monuments in one valley.
About 90 minutes from Kathmandu
Sunrise over the Himalaya from the rim of the valley.
A 25-minute flight from Kathmandu
Phewa Lake, Sarangkot at dawn and the Annapurnas overhead.
Five hours by road, or a short flight
A World Heritage national park: rhinos, jeep safaris and canoes.
A flight to Bhairahawa
The birthplace of the Buddha, and a World Heritage site.
An hour from Kathmandu
A morning mountain flight past Everest, without the trek.
Sample itineraries
5 days
6 days
7 days
One price
Questions
Thirty million people, steady spending from money sent home by Nepalis working abroad, and a market where Chinese brands already lead in electric cars. For many brands it is a natural step after India, or an easier first test.
Most imports come through India, by sea to Kolkata or Haldia and on to the Birgunj dry port. The crossings from China are shorter but close when landslides hit. We plan the route with your forwarder.
They are short and frequent, but mountain weather changes fast and Nepali airlines are on the EU air-safety list. We fly in the morning, keep a spare day on mountain routes, and drive where that makes more sense.
In most national parks and conservation areas, including the Annapurnas, yes — a licensed guide is required. We book guides, porters and permits.
Our Nepal desk
Your host
Leads our Nepal desk — the meetings in Kathmandu, the Birgunj trade route from the Bihar side, and the people you will meet.
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Prices are per person, twin share, and indicative until confirmed for your dates. Visa rules, fair dates, permits and domestic flights change — we confirm them when you book.